Old Vaer (Aviran Language)
Old Vaer is the language once spoken and written by the Avirans before the advent of the Nest fractured their culture. Few outside of the Nest know of its existence. Linguistic Features Old Vaer is heavy on diphthongs (combinations of two vowels without intervening consonants) and consonant clusters (combinations of two consonants without intervening vowels). The language also makes frequent use of fricatives (f, v, sh, th) and sibilants (s) with the exception of "z". Plosives (b, t) are rare. The "r" sound is always soft. Grammar Because letters in Old Vaer double as numbers, and because each word is pronounceable in many ways, the Aviran language is quite fluid and changing. The primary grammar construction is that the numerical value of each word increases as the sentence goes on unless a word is to be emphasised or is the subject. The subject always goes first. Surviving Words Words are led by their common numeral. There are only 1000 words (0-999) and all have multiple meanings. The larger the number the more serious the word, in general. Words here will be in the highest form, but most of these can be simplified. The more simplified the word, the less respect you show for the person. Either form of the primary consonant can be used, but if the alternate is used, it implies more intense meaning. If a meaning is italicized it is only carried across with the alternate. 0 : Vaer -- 'Avirans, Leader, Peace, Change, ''Children '1 : Thash '-- Avir, Beginning, Start, Pinnacle, Best '2 : Raed '-- Imtelor, Light, Sun, Creation, Art '3 : Fide -- '''Magic, Mage, Power, Strength, Will '''4 : Kou -- '''Half, Part, Incomplete, ''Middle, Current (chrono) '5 : Mevar -- '''Sentients, Different, Races, Creature, Ally '''6 : Shothe '-- Nynan, Enemy, Same, Empty, Gray, Unity '7 : Gera -- '''The Nest, Home, Safety, Sanity, ''Content '8 : Lae '-- Deities, Path, High, Unknown, Long '9 : Deker '-- Returning, Destiny, Journey, Adventure, Meeting '10 : Vaeraen '-- Knowledge, Open, Sight, Truth, Light '23 : Fideahn '-- Excrement, Garbage, Waste, Dirt, Leftover '49 : Dekerehd -- '''Only, Alone, Still, Quiet, Yet, I '''57 : Serais -- '''Slimy, Wet, Liquid, Mold, Disgusting '''343 : Deefidehd '-- Call, Shout, Summon, Bring, Own '401 : D'heth -- '''Us/We, Group, Crowd, Race, People '''635 : Siamevareed '-- Artful, Quick, Elegant, Beautiful, Complex, Princess '741 : Fhotashehd '-- Normal, Boring, Same, Blank, Clean, Neat, Simple '''929 : H'yedekerahn -- '''Shadow, Blind, Dark, Evil, Crazy '''955 : H'yemevarais ''(exp.)''-- Foul, Unwanted, Terror, Refuse, Excrement '976 : H'yeshotheohf '-- Love, Care, Protection, Guard, Honor, Courage, Nobility '999 : H'yedekeryeh -- '''Eternal, Finale, Penultimate, Conclude '(no number; functions as period or comma) : Aysh -- 'Death, Shut, End, Pause, Rest Vowels on their own form most of the supplemental words. '''ae -' 'ah - '''and '''ee -' 'eh -' 'ai -' 'ih -' 'oh -' 'oo -' '"Ou-ema, ou-eda. De edye." - '"Kou h'yemevarais, kou h'yedekerahn. Dekerehd h'yedekeryeh." in short form. Literally: "Half foul, half blind. Eternally alone." '"Thash a Gera deh deefeh ray-d'heth aysh" -' Idiomatically: "Until we meet again." Literally: "Avir and the Nest yet call us." Category:Languages of Esk Category:Ancient Tongues